Generally, a particle having one or more dimensions of the order of 100 nanometer (nm) or less is referred as a nanoparticle. Nanoparticles, typically, inorganic nanoparticles, such as titanium dioxide nanoparticles and zinc oxide nanoparticles, are used in a variety of products, for example, in high grade paints, adhesives, tinting agents, solar cells, cosmetics, personal care, and health care products. Further, it may be required that the nanoparticles possess certain particular physical and chemical properties, such as a particular range of particle size, so that they can be used in the products. For example, nanoparticles are used as a pigment in paints for absorption, reflection, and scattering of visible light; and are used as anti-ultra violet (UV) agents for absorption, reflection, and scattering of UV radiations. In both the examples, absorption, reflection, and scattering depend primarily on particle size of the nanoparticles.
Various techniques of dispersing nanoparticles, such as, milling and ultra-sonication have been used conventionally to prepare suspensions of these nanoparticles. Typically, it is required that the suspensions include particles such that they remain dispersed for long durations. However, such techniques often fail to produce suspensions, which are stable for long durations, say, for several months or years. In other words, such techniques may provide suspensions where the nanoparticles agglomerate or form strong agglomerates that may require large amounts of energy for disintegration. Further, such techniques may facilitate only small scale production of suspensions of the nanoparticles.